In 2012 I wrote a research paper on the future of the EU – Japan free trade agreement.
Today, almost 6 years later, I was really pleased to attend a conference organized by the Japanese government in Brussels, to celebrate the upcoming signature of the agreement.
The Economic Partnership Agreement will create a free trade zone with more than 600 million consumers, covering 35% of the world trade, and more than 1/3 of the global GDP. There is huge potential with this agreement, which goes beyond trade, and which is expected to boost both the EU’s and the Japanese economies. The EPA will impact GDP, employment and foreign direct investment and it will open up the Japanese economy dramatically, also in the field of public procurement.
Protectionism and tariffs have never been the answer to neither domestic nor international economic growth. In the light of recent tariff discussions, this agreement is very good news and an important step for trade and relations between EU and Japan.